Exercise Chronic Lung Disease

Article Sections Chronic Lung Diseases Examples of Exercises

Chronic Lung Diseases            

These exercises aim to help you cope with the sensation of breathlessness. The information contained here is not meant to be substitute for medical and physiotherapy attention. Before you start any exercise program, consult your physiotherapist or physician.

You should not experience additional breathlessness during or after these exercises, other than what you are already experiencing. Neither should you experience dizziness, pain or discomfort during or after the exercises. If you continue to be breathless, stop the exercises and consult your physiotherapist.


Examples of Exercises

Tips on Exercises Do your exercises in upright sitting, with a good back support. Avoid slouching. Relax your shoulders. Don’t hold them up. Let them drop down. Position yourselves so that your breathing muscles are able to work optimally. These will reduce the physical work of breathing, and bring about relief to breathlessness. .

Breathing Control Exercises

• Take in a slow breath into your lungs, through your nose and out through your mouth.
• You don’t have to take deeper breath than usual. Just the depth with which you normally breathe.
• Slow down your breathing rate gradually. You can do this by breathing in and counting 1 – 2 – 3 before breathing out. You should aim to breathe at a rate of about 12 to 14 breaths in a minute.
• Relax the muscles around your neck and your shoulders.
• Continue these breathing control exercises for about 5 – 10 minutes or until you are no longer breathless.
• These exercises are not only useful for people with lung disorders, but also for managing stress. See Stress Management.

Pursed Lip Breathing Exercises Do these breathing exercises as in Breathing Control Exercises, except breathe out through pursed lips.

 

Deep Breathing Exercises Take a slow but deeper than normal breath into your lungs, through the nose and out through the mouth. Do these slowly. Inhale and count 1 – 2 – 3 before exhaling. You should breathe at a rate of about 12 to 14 breaths per minute. Don’t raise your shoulders or tighten your neck muscles. Repeat several times.

Upper Limb Exercises Raise your arms as you breathe in. Lower your arms as you breathe out. Alternatively, place your arms across your chest, and similarly stretch out your arms as you breathe in, returning your arms to the chest as you breathe out. Repeat several times for both exercises.

Trunk Exercises Place your arms across your chest. Turn from side to side as you breathe in and out in unison. Put your hands on your hips. Bend sideways from side to side as you breathe in and out in unison. Repeat several times each side for both exercises.

Walking

• Walking is the best exercise!
• Don’t rush. Take your time. Breathe in and out in tandem with your steps.
• Initially, walk for about 5 to 10 minutes or as much as you can tolerate without becoming breathless.
• As you improve, increase the time of your walk to about 30 minutes.
• When you can walk at a comfortable pace for 30 minutes, then consider increase the pace of your walk, that is, brisk walking.
• Brisk walking is a good exercise for you to aim for in the long run. But don’t start with it if you are prone to becoming breathless with exertion.
• Remember! You can make your walk more challenging by increase duration of walk or the pace of walk. Increase one thing at a time! Don’t increase both at the same time.
• Consult your physiotherapist if you are not sure.

Warning! If you are oxygen-dependent, please consult with your physiotherapist or physician before starting on any exercise program on your own.




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